"Well, Prince, so Genoa and Lucca are now just family estates of theBuonapartes. But I warn you, if you don't tell me that this means war,if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated bythat Antichrist--I really believe he is Antichrist--I will havenothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend, no longermy 'faithful slave,' as you call yourself! But how do you do? I seeI have frightened you--sit down and tell me all the news."

It was in July, 1805, and the speaker was the well-known AnnaPavlovna Scherer, maid of honor and favorite of the Empress MaryaFedorovna. With these words she greeted Prince Vasili Kuragin, a manof high rank and importance, who was the first to arrive at herreception. Anna Pavlovna had had a cough for some days. She was, asshe said, suffering from la grippe; grippe being then a new word inSt. Petersburg, used only by the elite.